‘Bring Home The Bacon’: Academic Says Expressions Referencing Meat Will Become Less Popular

(CBS Local) — An academic researcher is predicting in a new article that phrases such as “bring home the bacon” and “killing two birds with one stone” will go out of fashion to avoid offending animal lovers.

Shareena Z. Hamzah, postdoctoral researcher at Swansea University in Wales, claims the growing influence of veganism will raise awareness of animal cruelty and put an end to meaty descriptions.

“In today’s reality, meat is repeatedly the subject of much socially and politically charged discussion,” especially relating to climate change, health effects and animal welfare, Hamzah writes on the academic website The Conversation.

“Given that fiction often reflects on real world events and societal issues,” she continues, “it may very well be that down the line powerful meat metaphors are eschewed.”

Hamzah says the increased awareness of vegan issues will filter through our consciousness to produce new modes of expression.

She links to an article by the animal welfare organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for some examples:

“Take the bull by the horns” could instead be “take the flower by the thorns.”

“bring home the bacon,” could turn into “bring home the bagels.”

“More than one way to skin a cat” could become “more than one way to peel a potato.”

“Meaty descriptions will be done away with immediately – after all, it can take language a long time to change,” Hamzah concedes. “The symbolic power of meat may well carry into the age of veganism, in which case the idea of meat as power will also remain in literature for some time to come.